Abstract:
The characteristics of uptake, transepithelial transport and efflux of
Z- and
E-ajoenes isolated from the bulbs of
Allium sativum were studied. A human colon cell model Caco-2 cell monolayers
in vitro cultured had been applied to study the characteristics of uptake, transepithelial transport and efflux of
Z- and
E-ajoenes. The quantitative determination of
Z- and
E-ajoenes was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography.
Z- and
E-Ajoenes can be detected only in the apical side and can be metabolized, but both compounds can not be transported from apical-to-basolateral and basolateral-to-apical directions in cultured Caco-2 cell monolayers. The metabolism of
Z- and
E-ajoenes in Caco-2 cell monolayers can be partially inhibited by vitamin C as an anti-oxidant, metyrapone as an inhibitor to subtype CYP3A of cytochrome P450 drug metabolism enzymes, and sodium azide as an inhibitor to ATP production. It is shown that neither
Z-ajoene nor
E-ajoene can pass through Caco-2 cell monolayers, and that they can be metabolized by the cells. The metabolism might be in correlation with cytochrome P450 drugs metabolism enzymes in Caco-2 cell monolayers.